# Hold to Talk

> Hold to Talk is a free macOS menu bar app for instant voice-to-text dictation. Hold a key, speak naturally, and transcribed text is pasted right where your cursor sits. Zero data retention, ~300ms transcription, works in any app.

Hold to Talk is the fastest speech-to-text dictation app for Mac. It lives in your Mac's menu bar and requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later. It transcribes speech in approximately 300 milliseconds with zero data retention. The app supports custom vocabulary for technical jargon, auto-paste into any text field, and works across every app on your Mac. It requires Microphone and Accessibility permissions.

## Key Features

- Hold-to-record: Press and hold Fn (Globe) key or a custom hotkey to record
- ~300ms transcription speed — significantly faster than Apple Dictation
- Zero data retention: Audio is transcribed and discarded, never stored
- Auto-paste: Text appears where your cursor is, in any app
- Custom vocabulary: Teach it names, jargon, and technical terms
- Menu bar app: No dock icon, no windows to manage
- Works in any text field: Slack, VS Code, browser, email, notes, terminals
- Free, lightweight, 3.6 MB download
- Runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs

## How it compares to Apple Dictation

- Faster: ~300ms vs multiple seconds
- Hold-to-record model instead of toggle on/off
- Custom vocabulary for better accuracy with jargon
- Works reliably in code editors and terminals
- No data retention — audio is never stored

## Links

- [Download](https://holdtotalk.com/HoldToTalk.dmg): Direct DMG download for macOS 14+
- [Website](https://holdtotalk.com): Landing page and FAQ